With new legislation supporting Alternative Business Structures (ABS) due to come into effect next year, law firms can expect to see some big changes in the market, says Dominic Cullis, Chairman of the Legal Software Suppliers Association

With legislation supporting Alternative Business Structures (ABS) due to come into effect in 2011, change is in the air for the UK legal services sector. These modifications to the Legal Services Act are already attracting attention from outside the industry, as ABS will allow non-lawyer organisations to provide legal services to the general public for the first time, and will therefore allow much wider options in how lawyers and non-lawyers can share the management and control of a business which provides reserved legal services to the public.

As such, next year's launch of ABS is already proving to be controversial, as it will allow external investment and ownership of law firms for the first time. Firms who decide to take this route and accept third-party investment (or are indeed purchased), will no doubt face a number of new challenges. But what about traditional high street firms who simply want to retain their current model? Will the arrival of ABS have any effect on them?



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